Former ace Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique is open to returning to club management and is apparently holding out for a top six job in the Premier League.
Having vacated the Spain national team job in December last year, ‘Lucho’ is now back on the market with clubs like Napoli on the hunt for a new manager despite their Serie A success this season, in the wake of Luciano Spalletti’s decision to take a sabbatical this year.
Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis has confirmed reports over the weekend that Enrique was a prime candidate to fill in the vacancy left by Spalletti, but said the Asturian had rejected the offer, as quoted by Cadena SER.
“Luis Enrique wants to go to the Premier League, we compete with championships that are more attractive than ours. I told him you don’t eat as well as here, there are less places to find, but… We are evaluating coaches for the 4-3-3 and I will choose the best to continue the cycle.”
Enrique had previously stated he would like to return to management in the Premier League, but only with a team that can ‘do important things’, which was a likely reference to a challenge for significant trophies.
Currently, with the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, all of the ‘top six’ positions in the Premier League seem to be filled for the time being, with the exception of Tottenham Hotspur. However despite the managerial position having been available for some time, Spurs failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, which may not be too enticing a prospect for the former Spain manager.